Top 10 happenings of 2015

Don’t look now but 2015 is almost in the books.  What do you do when the year is about over?  You recap the highlights, of course.  I have listed the top 10 highlights of 2015 below.

How can you pick the top 10 of anything?  You just have to pick, knowing that you have missed something; but here is the great thing.  You can add what I missed in the comments section at the end of this article.

Let’s start the countdown.

#10 Come home!  This was our year round message.  Some came.  We are still calling.

#9 Tom preached in the local bar.  He went in to put up a poster for the spaghetti supper that would raise money for the Back to Africa mission and ended up proclaiming the good news, witnessing a customer reciting John 3:16, and left with a small offering.   He returned with a few Bibles and Gospels of John a few minutes later for those who might be hungry for the bread of life and thirsty for living water.   All things to all men so that some might be saved—works for me.

#8 Tom and Rick returned to Africa.  This time they trained pastors and church leaders in Kenya and Uganda and shattered part of the leadership model used by senior church leaders, offering instead one given by Jesus.  Are we ready to be the servant of all?

#7 Rain!  We prayed for it.  We got it.  Lakes and ponds are full again.  Welcome to the land of the faithful.  As a result of coming out of a seemingly never ending burn ban, local youth celebrated with hotdogs and marshmallows by a fire after a November football game.

#6  Whosoever Will was unanimously voted the best hymn of all time by the ordained clergy of the Burns Flat CPC.  Whosover will may come!  Okay, it might only be Tom’s favorite but we did, with the help of Kristy Denbo, add a few more songs to the children’s repertoire.   Why yes, the monkeys in the jungle do say, “Thank you, Lord.”

#5 Garrett Stegall in the pulpit—yes, you heard it right.  Garret preached not one, but two sermons in 2015.  He is on tap for yet another message in early 2016.  Mom may get her wish after all.

#4 VBS!  It’s always great.  This year it was scientifically great.  Great job girls!

#3 Disconnect Notices went out throughout Burns Flat during the Walk A Block for Jesus.  Connecting the Disconnected became a local mission in 2014 and got into gear fully in 2015.  There is still much to be done.  And #3A—we did a walk a block in Canute blitzing the town with Gospels of John.

#2 Chewy Tuesdays!  This simple sack lunch has become the epitome of God’s Love in Action.

#1 F4 Revived and Revitalized!  Wow!  What eyes to see the mission field we have with these children that find love in God’s house on Wednesday nights.  What a blessing to have the adults that we need to guide these young ones in the way they should go and do it with love!  What started  a decade ago as a gathering for fellowship and education has become the most important of missions in the life of this church and in this community.

Thank you Lord for trusting your servants with these most worthy assignments and for being your witnesses to your mighty acts!

GOD LOVES YOU – LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Don't forget to add your highlights below..

                                                 

Top 10 happenings of 2014

What do you do when the year is about to run out?  Why, we recap its highlights.  With so many to choose from, it is hard to pick just 10.  So this is what we will do.  We begin with these 10 and you add any that you think are deserving of year-end recognition as well.

# 10  Walk a Block for Jesus X2.  One was conducted in Burns Flat during the spring, mostly praying at different points throughout Burns Flat.  The second was following camp and was a gospel blitz throughout Dill City.

#9  VBS – It always rocks!  Des Simmons got the pie in the face on the last day.

#8  Camp WOW.  Youth that had been reported long missing came out of the woodwork for life changing experiences at Camp WOW.

#7  First CPC in Mangum.  The Burns Flat CPC continued to pray for this small sister congregation as they went through more pastor trials and are struggling with their future.

#6  New tile in the women’s restroom and the kitchen.  It’s not all about the building, but every once in a while, you just have to do a little upgrade.

#5  Backpack ministry.  The church budgeted $1,000 and the community added $4,000 more.  We were able to help every child who came with just about everything on the list.

#4  Ice Bucket Challenge.  The session accepted the Ice Bucket Challenge put before us by Covenant CPC in Ada, Oklahoma.

#3  Baptisms.  We baptized 6 people this year.

#2  Broke the vending machine.  The church stopped conforming to the patterns of the world and returned to being faithful to its mission, especially in the areas of Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets and angel gifts.  We are feeding people with what lasts—the Bread of Life and Living Water.  What was in the basket will be gone in a week or two, but we bring love and life and life eternal to the world in Jesus Christ.

#1  Chewy Tuesdays.  What began a few years ago as a feast for a few turned into love delivered to 70 and 80 kids every Tuesday this summer.  This is God’s love in action!

God Love You!

Love One Another!

Add your top Burns Flat CPC events to the list in the comments section.

Pop Tarts and Peanut Butter

For the past 5 years, I have said that Pop Tarts and Peanut Butter—a food ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Burns Flat, Oklahoma sounded like the title of a country and western song.  So enough talking about it.  I started it.  Anyone want to add another verse or two?

Pop Tarts and peanut butter you have saved my life

Had to spread you with a spoon, not old enough for a knife.

When mom and dad are gone and I’m left to feed myself.

I grab the Pop Tarts and peanut butter and I can’t even reach the shelf.

Pop Tarts have a lot of sugar but they beat nothing at all.

Peanut butter is healthy and makes you big and tall.

You can even mix them together and come out none the worse,

You had better find a real song writer if you want another verse.